


the night before life goes on

by karasunonolibero



Series: haikyuu song fics [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Graduation, M/M, a bit sad ig?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-09-24 13:22:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20359201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karasunonolibero/pseuds/karasunonolibero
Summary: “Hey,” Oikawa said to him as they sat on the floor with their legs intertwined. “Don’t think about it. We have three weeks.”It’s impossible not to think about it, to realize that eighteen years of being plastered to each other’s sides is about to end. But Iwaizumi just smiled, tight-lipped, and gave Oikawa a chaste kiss, squeezing his hand. “I’ll try.”~or, Oikawa gets ready to leave for college and Iwaizumi gets ready to try to let him go.





	the night before life goes on

**Author's Note:**

> so after the last sad disaster of a fic i posted i wanted something not nearly as sad. it's still like a tiny bit sad but not That sad. i was listening to [the night before (life goes on) by carrie underwood](https://youtu.be/WCodimhyrGA) (i do write stuff not based on songs i swear fkjhdsf) and then it got me thinking about iwaoi graduating so...here we are

Iwaizumi doesn’t think he’ll ever forget graduation day, but not for the reason most people think when he tells them that. They all assume he’s emotional about moving away from home, about leaving his classmates and kouhai and volleyball team, about the anxiety of leaving Miyagi for somewhere almost completely unknown.

And that’s all true—the future is a terrifying black hole of a thing—but that’s not really the reason.

Iwaizumi hadn’t cried that day. Oikawa had, though. He’d burst into tears shortly after the conclusion of the ceremony, which immediately drew about two dozen of his fawning admirers to his side, all clamoring to try to comfort him. He’d sniffled, thanked them for their concern, and then looked up, locking eyes with Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi didn’t want to watch the scene, so he took his leave, and before he realized it he was standing on the threshold of the doors to the gymnasium. This was where Oikawa found him, leaning on the door jamb and staring at the shiny floor.

“I’m gonna miss this, you know.”

Oikawa smiled and slung an arm over his shoulder. “I’m gonna miss it, too.”

“If only we could have gotten to nationals our last year.” If only they could have won, if they could have beaten Karasuno and Shiratorizawa, just so Iwaizumi could have seen the look of elation on Oikawa’s face. So that when Oikawa inevitably began to cry and get his snot all over Iwaizumi’s shirt, the tears would have been of joy, not anguish.

There was a quiet _snap_, and he looked up to see Oikawa grinning at him. “Iwa-chan.” He pressed the little metal button into Iwaizumi’s hand. It still had the tiny threads connected to it.

Iwaizumi smiled. “How many of your fans asked for that today?”

“I lost count.”

“Of course you did, you piece of shit.” Punctuated by a punch in the arm.

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa whined, pouting at rubbing at his bicep where he’d been hit. “If you don’t accept it then that means you don’t love me!”

“Dumbass.” Even as he rolled his eyes, he ripped off his own button, holding it out between them.

Oikawa took it, then grabbed him by the front of his jacket and dragged him in for a kiss.

The volleyball team found them just like that, kissing in the doorway of the gymnasium, and proceeded to pester them about it all the way to the ramen shop down the street. After they’d eaten their fill and said their goodbyes, he went to Oikawa’s house with his family for them all to celebrate together. They snuck away while their parents chatted, ensconcing themselves in Oikawa’s bedroom.

“Hey,” Oikawa said to him as they sat on the floor with their legs intertwined. “Don’t think about it. We have three weeks.”

It’s impossible not to think about it, to realize that eighteen years of being plastered to each other’s sides is about to end. But Iwaizumi just smiled, tight-lipped, and gave Oikawa a chaste kiss, squeezing his hand. “I’ll try.”

He’s thought about it every single day since then, really. But he hasn’t uttered a word of such thoughts and just lets Oikawa drag him here and there, to stores to buy college supplies and to the gym and to the park and to take his nephew to volleyball camp and to hang out with Matsukawa and Hanamaki. He doesn’t say that he keeps getting emails from the person who’s to be his new roommate that he leaves unanswered, because replying means the leaving is real. He doesn’t say that his mother’s been bugging him about packing for college because he’s been procrastinating that in favor of grabbing every possible moment he can with Oikawa.

Oikawa’s second button sits on his desk, where it’s the last thing he sees before he falls asleep. He knows Oikawa knows—they’re in each other’s rooms so often, it’s impossible to keep a secret like that. Especially from Oikawa, who rifles through his closet and opens his drawers like it’s his own room.

Oikawa’s been his usual self—that is to say, chatty and bubbly and slightly irritating. He chatters on about the most inane things and makes Iwaizumi watch some stupid show called _Ancient Aliens_ and drags him to his bedroom to make out when his parents aren’t home. The way he can act like they’re not about to move apart for the first time in their lives in just a few short weeks is at once infuriating and admirable.

“Who’s going to stop you from being this stupid in college, Shittykawa?” Iwaizumi says to him one night as he opens a window, trying to waft the smoke out of the kitchen before the alarm goes off.

Oikawa just stands there with the bag of burnt popcorn in his hand and a smile far too calm for someone who just filled the kitchen with black smoke. “Oh, come on, Iwa-chan! I’m not the only one in college who’ll make mistakes!”

“This wasn’t a mistake, this was just being stupid, and anyway that’s the complete opposite of the point.” But Iwaizumi kisses him anyway before grabbing the bag and tossing it into the trash can on the other side of the kitchen with pinpoint accuracy.

Oikawa pretends to swoon. “My ace!” he exclaims, throwing himself into Iwaizumi’s arms.

Iwaizumi’s had time to get used to this. Whereas three years ago he might have reacted too slowly and dropped his idiot boyfriend, now he just holds his arms out with a sigh, waiting for the familiar weight to crash into him. “Come on, let’s just go out.”

“Is Iwa-chan asking me out on a date?” Oikawa gasps, his brown eyes seeming to glitter in the soft kitchen light as he tugs at the hem of Iwaizumi’s shirt.

“I’d never dream of dating you, dumbass,” he replies gruffly, but grabs his wallet and drags a giggling Oikawa out the door to the late-night ice cream shop, stubbornly _not_ thinking about how Oikawa had called him his ace, and how Oikawa won’t get to do that once they start playing on different teams. Oikawa will have a new ace, and Iwaizumi will have a new setter. New people to build trust with. It seems like a monumental task, for two people who grew up together and have that trust basically built into their molecules.

Iwaizumi swears he blinks and suddenly it’s their last week together.

Matsukawa moves out for college on Tuesday, and Hanamaki on Wednesday, leaving Oikawa and Iwaizumi just two short days until Oikawa leaves on Saturday morning.

It’s not forever. He knows this. There’s texting and Skype and Twitter and all sorts of ways to keep in touch. But none of that’s the same, Iwaizumi thinks petulantly. None of it’s the same, because when they’re Skyping, he can still call Oikawa names, but he can’t reach out and draw him in for a kiss right after like he can in person. And that—that hurts.

They waste Thursday helping each other pack. Well, Iwaizumi helps Oikawa pack, and Oikawa just goes through every drawer and box in Iwaizumi’s bedroom. Friday morning and afternoon is spent walking through town as Oikawa points out all the places he’ll miss when he goes to Tokyo, and that evening is an Iwaizumi–Oikawa family dinner.

And then, all of a sudden, it’s nine o’clock at night and they only have twelve hours left before Oikawa’s loading all his shit in the car and starting the long drive to Tokyo. Iwaizumi hears the ticking of the clock with every beat of his heart.

He tells his mom he’s going to Oikawa’s to help him finish packing, and darts out the house once she’s given him the okay, shoes untied and jacket buttoned up the wrong way.

Oikawa, on the other hand, is perfectly polished as always, hair still coiffed even though he’s in pajamas. He’s wearing his glasses.

“You’re already in pajamas?”

“Nice to see you too,” Oikawa singsongs, taking his hand and tugging him towards his room. “Is Iwa-chan here for a booty call?” he teases.

“Actually, no.” Iwaizumi squeezes his hand and pauses in the doorway. “Get dressed. Let’s go.”

“Go? Go where?” Oikawa’s already pulling on his jacket.

Truthfully, Iwaizumi hadn’t planned that far ahead. He just knows they’re running out of time and he intends on spending every second he can with his boyfriend. So he makes something up. “The park across the street from that ramen place, the one where we went after—”

“You don’t have to say it, I know the one,” Oikawa grumbles. “Give me a minute, I’ll go get dressed.”

“Hurry up, will you?”

“Iwa-chan, so mean! Don’t you know I’m leaving tomorrow?” Oikawa crosses his arms.

“Yeah, no shit. That’s why I’m telling you to hurry.”

Oikawa grumbles his way down the hall and is still grumbling when he comes back out to slip his shoes on.

“Come on, dumbass.” Iwaizumi wait until Oikawa’s grabbed a blanket and threaded his arm through his before they set off.

The night is cool, the stars bright in the sky and the park empty when they reach it. They’d come here countless times as kids to play. Really, Iwaizumi just pretended to be Godzilla and Oikawa pretended to be an alien from Jupiter, but to their seven-year-old minds, it was the best game they had. Until they discovered volleyball.

Oikawa lets go of his arm, darting into the darkened park. “Here, Iwa-chan!”

He picks a spot right in the middle, where they’re far enough from the trees to be able to see the stars. Iwaizumi watches him spread out the blanket and fuss with it till he’s satisfied before sitting down himself.

“Romantic, Iwa-chan, taking me stargazing,” Oikawa simpers. Since it’s dark, Iwaizumi has to smack blindly and hope he makes contact with Oikawa’s shoulder.

“Ow! Rude!” Oikawa whines. “That was my face!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Iwaizumi feels around till he has a vague idea of where Oikawa’s mouth is, and kisses him. He can feel Oikawa’s mouth curve into a smile, and the moment they separate, Oikawa flops around until his head is in Iwaizumi’s lap.

“Now I can see the stars and Iwa-chan,” he says simply, lacing his fingers with Iwaizumi’s, and that’s when he loses it.

“I don’t want you to go,” Iwaizumi whispers, lifting his free hand to comb through Oikawa’s stupidly fluffy hair.

“Iwa-chan.” Oikawa’s voice is soft too, and now that Iwaizumi’s eyes are getting used to the darkness, he can make out the vague outline of his boyfriend’s profile. “It’s not that far. I’ll still come and bug you all the time, when I can.”

“It’s not the same. I don’t want you to _go_,” he says again, as though that’ll change anything.

“I know.” Oikawa reaches for the hand he’s holding, presses a kiss to Iwaizumi’s palm. “I wish I didn’t have to leave you.”

Iwaizumi swallows thickly, the next words coming out like molasses. “What if you meet someone else at college? Someone cooler and smarter and better at volleyball—hey!”

Oikawa had bitten his finger to shut him up. “Stop that, Iwa-chan,” he chides. “Don’t you get it? I’m never going to find anyone better than you.” He takes a breath, and his voice lowers. “It’s always been you, for me. Ever since we were little and I wanted to be around you all the time and didn’t know the words to describe how it felt to be with you. I don’t care who I meet in college. Iwa-chan is mine, and I’m Iwa-chan’s. Always.”

He sits up so fast he almost hits his head on Iwaizumi’s chin, and leans in for another kiss. Iwaizumi’s hands fly up to hold his face, licking his way inside Oikawa’s mouth to deepen the kiss.

“Just pretend it’s any other night, please?” Oikawa asks, and Iwaizumi’s always been a little weak for him, so he says yes.

They lay together on top of the blanket, tangled up with Oikawa’s head on his chest as they watch for shooting stars. Every time Iwaizumi sees one, he makes a wish. He wishes they could go to the same college; wishes he could bottle this moment up and keep it as a souvenir from Miyagi; wishes their relationship will withstand the time and distance; wishes for trillions of more moments like this with Oikawa—for a future with him in it.

“Iwa-chan.” Oikawa pokes his cheek. “Pick a star.”

Iwaizumi squints before making his choice. “That one,” he says, pointing up at the sky. “Alpha Centauri.”

Oikawa hums his approval. “That’s your star now,” he informs him. “So when I see it, I’ll think of you.”

“That’s…” Touching. Sentimental. “Cheesy. Now you pick one.”

The response is immediate, like he’s already chosen his and just roped Iwaizumi into this cheesy little scheme. “Regulus, in the heart of Leo.”

“So whenever I look at Leo, I’ll remember all the dumb shit you made me do.”

“Rude,” Oikawa mutters, stifling a yawn. “So rude to me, even on our last night.”

“You should go to bed if you’re tired,” Iwaizumi says. “You have a long drive in the morning.”

Oikawa’s response is to curl in closer, flopping an arm across Iwaizumi’s waist. “Don’t want to.”

“Yeah, well, I’d like it if you didn’t crash on the highway.”

Oikawa yawns again. “Wake me up when the sun rises so I can go home.”

“I’m not letting you—” Iwaizumi means to say he won’t let Oikawa sleep out here, but now his boyfriend is dead weight on his chest. He might already be asleep, that idiot. Iwaizumi sighs, sets his phone alarm for six in the morning, and kisses the top of Oikawa’s head before he drifts off, too.

He’s in the middle of a dream where Oikawa turned into Mothra and was terrorizing a hotel when his alarm begins to beep shrilly.

“I’m awake!” Oikawa yells, springing to an upright position and rubbing his eyes. He’d slept in his glasses, now askew on his nose.

Iwaizumi grunts, shutting off the alarm and then sitting up. “My back is killing me. That’s the last time we do this.”

Oikawa doesn’t answer; instead he’s looking up at the sky in something like reverence. “Look at the sunrise, Iwa-chan.”

It’s his last sunrise in Miyagi for a while, so Iwaizumi indulges him and looks up, too. The sky looks like a painter’s mixing palette, deep pinks and purples melting into blues and oranges where the sun’s begun to peek over the mountains. It’s horribly cliche, but soon Iwaizumi gets bored of looking at the sky and shifts his gaze to Oikawa instead.

If you asked Iwaizumi, Oikawa’s always prettiest right when he wakes up, with his bedhead and sleepy-soft voice and relaxed expression. It’s when he looks youngest, like part of him is still hiding away in dreamland where the pressures of the world can’t get to him.

Oikawa notices him staring—he always does. “Like the view?” he teases.

Instead of hitting him, Iwaizumi hugs him, pulling him close and humming contentedly when he feels Oikawa slide into his lap. Iwaizumi’s got to let him go soon; they’ll have to head home so Oikawa can pack up the last of his stuff and load it all into the car, and then Iwaizumi will have to watch him drive down their street and make a left turn toward the highway and disappear, and they’ll have to be apart for the first time in their lives.

But right now, Iwaizumi has Oikawa in his lap and hazy pink clouds in the sky and three more hours before all that happens, so he runs a hand through Oikawa’s soft hair and kisses him.

**Author's Note:**

> as always, thank you for reading! please let me know what you thought, if you feel so inclined x
> 
> [main blog](http://humhalleloujah.tumblr.com) // [haikyuu!! blog](http://karasunonolibero.tumblr.com)


End file.
